// For flags

CVE-2025-22077

smb: client: Fix netns refcount imbalance causing leaks and use-after-free

Severity Score

5.5
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: Fix netns refcount imbalance causing leaks and use-after-free Commit ef7134c7fc48 ("smb: client: Fix use-after-free of network
namespace.") attempted to fix a netns use-after-free issue by manually
adjusting reference counts via sk->sk_net_refcnt and sock_inuse_add(). However, a later commit e9f2517a3e18 ("smb: client: fix TCP timers deadlock
after rmmod") pointed out that the approach of manually setting
sk->sk_net_refcnt in the first commit was technically incorrect, as
sk->sk_net_refcnt should only be set for user sockets. It led to issues
like TCP timers not being cleared properly on close. The second commit
moved to a model of just holding an extra netns reference for
server->ssocket using get_net(), and dropping it when the server is torn
down. But there remain some gaps in the get_net()/put_net() balancing added by
these commits. The incomplete reference handling in these fixes results
in two issues: 1. Netns refcount leaks[1] The problem process is as follows: ```
mount.cifs cifsd cifs_do_mount cifs_mount cifs_mount_get_session cifs_get_tcp_session get_net() /* First get net. */ ip_connect generic_ip_connect /* Try port 445 */ get_net() ->connect() /* Failed */ put_net() generic_ip_connect /* Try port 139 */ get_net() /* Missing matching put_net() for this get_net().*/ cifs_get_smb_ses cifs_negotiate_protocol smb2_negotiate SMB2_negotiate cifs_send_recv wait_for_response cifs_demultiplex_thread cifs_read_from_socket cifs_readv_from_socket cifs_reconnect cifs_abort_connection sock_release(); server->ssocket = NULL; /* Missing put_net() here. */ generic_ip_connect get_net() ->connect() /* Failed */ put_net() sock_release(); server->ssocket = NULL; free_rsp_buf ... clean_demultiplex_info /* It's only called once here. */ put_net()
``` When cifs_reconnect() is triggered, the server->ssocket is released
without a corresponding put_net() for the reference acquired in
generic_ip_connect() before. it ends up calling generic_ip_connect()
again to retry get_net(). After that, server->ssocket is set to NULL
in the error path of generic_ip_connect(), and the net count cannot be
released in the final clean_demultiplex_info() function. 2. Potential use-after-free The current refcounting scheme can lead to a potential use-after-free issue
in the following scenario: ``` cifs_do_mount cifs_mount cifs_mount_get_session cifs_get_tcp_session get_net() /* First get net */ ip_connect generic_ip_connect get_net() bind_socket kernel_bind /* failed */ put_net() /* after out_err_crypto_release label */ put_net() /* after out_err label */ put_net()
``` In the exception handling process where binding the socket fails, the
get_net() and put_net() calls are unbalanced, which may cause the
server->net reference count to drop to zero and be prematurely released. To address both issues, this patch ties the netns reference counti
---truncated---

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: Fix netns refcount imbalance causing leaks and use-after-free Commit ef7134c7fc48 ("smb: client: Fix use-after-free of network namespace.") attempted to fix a netns use-after-free issue by manually adjusting reference counts via sk->sk_net_refcnt and sock_inuse_add(). However, a later commit e9f2517a3e18 ("smb: client: fix TCP timers deadlock after rmmod") pointed out that the approach of manually setting sk->sk_net_refcnt in the first commit was technically incorrect, as sk->sk_net_refcnt should only be set for user sockets. It led to issues like TCP timers not being cleared properly on close. The second commit moved to a model of just holding an extra netns reference for server->ssocket using get_net(), and dropping it when the server is torn down. But there remain some gaps in the get_net()/put_net() balancing added by these commits. The incomplete reference handling in these fixes results in two issues: 1. Netns refcount leaks[1] The problem process is as follows: ``` mount.cifs cifsd cifs_do_mount cifs_mount cifs_mount_get_session cifs_get_tcp_session get_net() /* First get net. */ ip_connect generic_ip_connect /* Try port 445 */ get_net() ->connect() /* Failed */ put_net() generic_ip_connect /* Try port 139 */ get_net() /* Missing matching put_net() for this get_net().*/ cifs_get_smb_ses cifs_negotiate_protocol smb2_negotiate SMB2_negotiate cifs_send_recv wait_for_response cifs_demultiplex_thread cifs_read_from_socket cifs_readv_from_socket cifs_reconnect cifs_abort_connection sock_release(); server->ssocket = NULL; /* Missing put_net() here. */ generic_ip_connect get_net() ->connect() /* Failed */ put_net() sock_release(); server->ssocket = NULL; free_rsp_buf ... clean_demultiplex_info /* It's only called once here. */ put_net() ``` When cifs_reconnect() is triggered, the server->ssocket is released without a corresponding put_net() for the reference acquired in generic_ip_connect() before. it ends up calling generic_ip_connect() again to retry get_net(). After that, server->ssocket is set to NULL in the error path of generic_ip_connect(), and the net count cannot be released in the final clean_demultiplex_info() function. 2. Potential use-after-free The current refcounting scheme can lead to a potential use-after-free issue in the following scenario: ``` cifs_do_mount cifs_mount cifs_mount_get_session cifs_get_tcp_session get_net() /* First get net */ ip_connect generic_ip_connect get_net() bind_socket kernel_bind /* failed */ put_net() /* after out_err_crypto_release label */ put_net() /* after out_err label */ put_net() ``` In the exception handling process where binding the socket fails, the get_net() and put_net() calls are unbalanced, which may cause the server->net reference count to drop to zero and be prematurely released. To address both issues, this patch ties the netns reference counti ---truncated---

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
None
Availability
Partial
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2024-12-29 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-04-16 CVE Published
  • 2025-04-16 CVE Updated
  • 2025-04-17 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 6.6.62 < 6.6.87
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 6.6.62 < 6.6.87"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 6.12 < 6.12.23
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 6.12 < 6.12.23"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 6.12 < 6.13.11
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 6.12 < 6.13.11"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 6.12 < 6.14.2
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 6.12 < 6.14.2"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 6.12 < 6.15-rc1
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 6.12 < 6.15-rc1"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
6.11.9
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version "6.11.9"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
6.6.68
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version "6.6.68"
en
Affected